There is a mammoth crowd at the local church in, Ropp, Barkin Ladi, Nigeria.
The location is behind the Independent National Electoral Commission office in Barkin Ladi and the event is the distribution of Non-Food Items to internally displaced people.
. The air is filled with excitement and the crowds are expectant. You don’t have to look too far for the reason. Lined up in straight rows are 315 sacks. A sack will be given to a representative of exactly 315 households. Each contains 4 Mats,5 Blankets, 2 Mosquito nets, 5 reusable sanitary pads, 1 camping bed, 2 sets of wrappers, 1 set of kitchen utensils (pots, plates and cutlery), 5 bars of washing soap,1 Solar lamp,1 Rubber bucket and a set of 25ltrs jerrycans.
It has taken a long journey to get to this point of distribution. The move to give out these items to beneficiaries is the offshoot of a partnership between Save the Children International and the Red Cross.
It all began with Save the Children International registering beneficiaries for a possible distribution earlier in the year. Then the International Committee of the Red Cross stepped in with the items and the Nigerian Red Cross Society now handled the actual disbursement of these items.
The Nigerian Red Cross Society aided by funding from the International Committee of the Red Cross then swung into action and successfully provided relief materials to 900 households in both Bokkos and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas. The distribution was carried out with the support of dedicated staff and volunteers and played a significant role in alleviating human suffering following violent conflict in the region.
At the second distribution site in Bokkos, the crowd of beneficiaries that awaited their sacks was even bigger and the atmosphere was more rowdy.
Photo Credit-Chima Nwankwo
The distribution of relief materials is a critical aspect of humanitarian aid, particularly in areas affected by conflict. In December last year, Bokkos and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas in Plateau State saw conflict, leading to the displacement and suffering of many households. In response to this crisis, the Nigerian Red Cross Society, whose mandate is the alleviation of human suffering, with support and funding from the International Committee of the Red Cross, provided Non-Food Items (NFI) to 900 households in the affected areas.
The distribution was supervised by a team of dedicated staff of the Nigerian Red Cross Society and Save the Children – Ekaette Udoh-Child Protection Officer-STC,
Chima Nwankwo-Communications, Dauda Mohammed-Disaster Management, Nurudeen Hussaini Magaji, Kefas Shutty, Munir Adda, and Mafeng Mark, who also handles Communications at the Plateau Branch of the Nigerian Red Cross Society. Also, 20 volunteers from the Bokkos Division provided essential support in ensuring the success of the distribution.
On the whole, despite of working against a looming deadline, the distribution of relief materials in Bokkos and Barkin Ladi LGAs was a success, with 900 households receiving much-needed Non-Food Items. The collaborative efforts of staff, volunteers, and partners ensured that the distribution was carried out efficiently and effectively, reaching those most in need.
This successful distribution of relief materials brings to the fore, the ongoing importance of humanitarian response in crises. A sense of urgency is key so that disasters do not spiral out of control.
The Nigerian Red Cross Society, with support from partners, was able to make a significant impact in alleviating human suffering and providing essential support to affected households. Moving forward, it is essential to ensure collaboration with partners and mobilizing resources to address the ongoing needs of vulnerable communities.
In conclusion, the registration of beneficiaries by Save the Children and the procurement and distribution of relief materials by the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Nigerian Red Cross Society respectively, is a solid testament to the power of partnership. There is no point reinventing the wheel. If another partner has already implemented an initiative. The best option is to leverage that and save resources that can be channelled more effectively towards alternative needs.
With this successful distribution, the Nigerian Red Cross Society which has 800,000 volunteers in all 7774 LGAs of Nigeria, looks forward to bigger and better partnerships.
Let’s do this again!
If you’d like to form a partner with the Nigerian Red Cross, send an email with details of your proposal to info@redcrossnigeria.org or visit this page:
